Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

CS28 Phytoplankton: Distributions in Space and Time

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2001, Time: 9:45:00 AM

Location: Dona Ana

Julius, M, L, University of Michigan-Center for Great Lakes and Aquatic Sciences, Ann Arbor, USA, mjulius@umich.edu

Stoermer, E, F, University of Michigan-Center for Great Lakes and Aquatic Sciences, Ann Arbor, USA, stoermer@umich.edu

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENDEMIC DIATOM SPECIES IN LACUSTRINE SYSTEMS

The presence and development of endemic species in lacustrine systems has increasingly become the source of considerable debate in the limnological community. This activity is most apparent within the diatom community. Through relatively recent technological and theoretical advances, our ability to distinguish between different diatom species has never been greater. This coupled with the long and detailed diatom fossil record provide a wonderful data set for investigating the extent and development of endemic taxa. In this study modern and fossil collections from small recent lakes and large, Pleistocene or older lakes are used to track trends in phytoplankton community development and diversity. These data indicate that the development of endemic communities is a combination of time and environmental stability. If a limnological system can remain relatively disturbance free for a period greater than 10,000 years, endemic diatom taxa will most likely develop. If extreme disturbance or major variations in the seasonal cycle occur, it appears that more cosmopolitan taxa will dominate in this system. Recent trends in systems possessing endemic species indicate the demise of endemics with more cosmopolitan taxa.

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Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Albuquerque 2001

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